Knorr National Chef of the Year 2008

The king of all culinary competitions is back and chefs across the country are being challenged to enter the 2008 battle for the title of Knorr National Chef of the Year - before the 31 December closing date.

With £10,000 in prize money to be won, as well as earning one of the most coveted accolades in the industry, the 2008 competition is expected to be hotly contested.

Entries are welcome from all sectors, from fine dining to cost sector catering, but chefs must be over 21 on January 2007 to be considered. Hopefuls must submit their recipe for a lunch menu for four people comprising one hot and one cold canapé, a pork dish using a regional breed, followed by a British dessert with a twist.

The 2008 competition will differ from previous years in that the semi-final heats will be held across the country on different dates. From the original paper entries, 40 semi finalists will be invited to attend these regional cook-offs, the first of which will be held on March 12 at the Bournemouth Hotel & Catering Show as part of the Wessex Salon.

Three further heats will take place at the Food & Drink Expo in Birmingham on April 8-9 and the fifth heat will be held in Newcastle at the North Eastern Culinary Trade Association event on May 22.

One winner from each semi-final will be announced on the day, with the three next highest marked entrants revealed online at www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk before the end of May.

The eight finalists will then go on to compete for the ultimate prize in a live cook-off at the Restaurant Show in London on October 7, 2008. They will have four hours to create a four-course meal with a selection of ingredients from a mystery basket.

The 40 semi-finalists will be announced on February 4, 2008.

• For entry forms and more information about the competition, visit www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk and click on the Knorr National Chef of the Year 2008 logo.

Words: Kirsty Collings

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